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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Polypogon viridis
HABIT Perennial; persisting, or short-lived; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; (15–)30–100 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–17 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; oblong, or ovate; interrupted; 2–8(–11) cm long; 0.5–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; bearing spikelets almost to the base.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.2–0.5 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 1.75–2 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with the pedicel. Floret callus glabrous.
GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1.75–2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1.75–2 mm long; 1.3–1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1–1.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex erose; truncate; muticous. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5–0.75 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 1 mm long. Hilum linear. Endosperm farinose.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, northeast tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern and north-central. North America: northwest USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, western South America, and southern South America.
NOTES Aveneae. FZ.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
